Growing Backlash Against Overparenting
In the past week, I have heard repeated complaints about overbearing parents who challenge everything that teachers do. Some teachers report instances of angry parents who email them when their children make low grades or write letters to administrators and include a litany of grievances against teachers who they believe mistreat their children.
It’s common today to hear teachers state that they enjoy working with students, but parents wear them down. As anyone who has spent any time inside a classroom knows, however, most parents are supportive of teachers, and only a handful of parents have unrealistic expectations and believe they must intervene repeatedly in their child’s education instead of allowing students to handle their own problems.
Oh, those demanding parents may be in the minority, but they often create so much stress and so many problems for teachers that some teachers actually leave the profession.
A new article in Time Magazine suggests that the tide may be turning as more helicopter parents recognize the need to step back and allow their children to make their own mistakes.
